Marlene Hardin Mesh

Marlene Hardin Mesh passed away October 23, 2020. Marlene was born a country girl and spent her childhood on the farm, having fun growing up with her many cousins and friends and her farm animals, especially her favorite pet pig named Virgil.  As time went on, Marlene moved to Kansas City, Missouri, graduating with top honors from Manual High School in 1949.  Although she was very shy back in those days, she participated in many clubs and made many friends.  It was at Manual High School she met her soon to be husband, Duke Mesh.  Although her home was in Kansas City now, she maintained her country roots and took many trips back home to see family in Pattonsburg and Cameron, Missouri.  Marlene raised three children, learned to cook Italian food as good as her Italian sister-in-laws, participated in school activities with her children, hosted many family gatherings and never passed an opportunity to help whoever needed anything.

After her children were grown, she entered the workforce and boy did she ever!  She held a variety of jobs such as Candy Factory Worker, Book Bindery Manufacturing, Department Store Sales Clerk, Hotel General Cashier (Alameda Plaza, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Swanson’s on the Plaza, Muehlebach Hotel and Kansas City Club), Property Management and Leasing Consultant for various apartment communities and also was the Manager for The Walnut Penthouses on the Plaza. No matter how hectic her work schedule was she always found quality time for her family and many, many friends.  She loved to dance (especially Disco music), maintain her huge fish aquariums, browse those thrift stores for bargains, created many scrapbooks and photo albums of her many adventures and vacation travels, her favorite being going to the beaches in Florida to enjoy the ocean.

Marlene was beautiful inside and out, always dressed in style and had a great sense of humor and a feisty spirit. She was strict, she was fair, she was loving. She gave us many great memories, however, she is leaving behind many broken hearts due to her sudden unexpected passing.  We will miss her beautiful smile, her wonderful laugh, her many stories, but most of all the love she gave to all of us.

She was preceded in death by her former husband, Dominic “Duke” Mesh, and her son, Joseph Peter “Pete” Mesh.

Marlene is survived by daughter, Jennie Mesh Knecht; son, Don Vincent Mesh; son-in-law, Don L. Knecht; daughter-in-law, Gisele Mesh; step grandson, Gregory Weber; cousins JT and Loretta Newby, Marquita Brown, Anita, Theresa, Larry and Gary West; former brother-in-law, John Mesh; former sister-in-law, Barbara Mesh; Melissa Engle and Gary Sirna (very close family relations); nephews, John and Anthony Giambrone; and many Mesh nieces and nephews and their families.